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Discussion thread for Trial; Warning, here thar be spoilers!
Topic Started: Mar 11 2015, 12:15 AM (160 Views)
Helena Serieux
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Methuselah
[]
Okay, so this thread is to keep the story thread clear, mostly so that when I finish it will be one continuous read. You can find that thread here.

So, lets get the obvious out of the way. This thread is set in the time immediately after the supposed death of King Arthur. Our unnamed protagonist is accused of his murder and has languished in the dungeons for some time. The scene starts with her pulled from confinement and ready to be judged, only she argues her way into getting a full trial and a face full of fist.

There's not much more for me to say about what's posted, I'm taking liberties with the knights character (well, for Bors and Peredur, Bedwyr is scenary at the moment). Oh, if anyone is wondering Peredur = Percival and Bedwyr = Bedivere.

Now for the spoilers. Earlier this week, I heard of Heather Dale for the first time and listened to Mordred's Lullaby. I think this song is wonderful, beautifully sung from the view point of Mordred's mother, a bitter woman living for revenge.

This got me thinking, history is written by the winners and Arthur's court was not obliterated with his death. What if the tale of Mordred and his mother has been tweaked, leaving us with propaganda and not truth. I'm going to assume you know less than I do for Arthurian myth (though you may well know more, I'm not an expert by any means).

Mordred is often attributed the son of either Morgana Le Fay or her sister Morgause. He is the child of incest (possibly unknowing) and raised for revenge against his sire as the usurper of the true ruler: him/his mother. Morgana is mostly used as Mordred's mother for brevity, as she has magic and is peer to Merlin whilst Morgause is a woman seeking material power.

Or is she? (here's where my thinking starts) What if Morgause was not Arthur's sister at all? That is a lie started to discredit her. Spread as rumour and unable to prove one way or another, it's damn juicy gossip and spreads quickly, soon becoming 'fact' regardless of it's source. Put this way, it's a masterful stroke of politics and paints Morgause as despicable. But who would spread such a lie and profit from it? Who in Arthur's court would scheme and plot like this? None of his knights, certainly, I don't want to mess with the mythos that much.

Merlin would though.

I think he's perfect. Older, a mentor with command of magic and no knightly vows. Merlin's authority was second only to Arthur's. He guided his rise to power and guided him through his rule. This was the premise, but we still have Mordred to deal with. Raised in hatred and given a burning vengeance against his father. Why is that?

To me, the answer was simple. Morgause does not think Arthur has her throne. She thinks Guinevere does. Here's where details are sketchier until I write them, but in this version Morgause and Arthur grew up together. With puberty and proximity, the two fall in love and Arthur secretly swears himself to her. She *ahem* gives up the goods, as it were and conceives Mordred.

It's shortly after this that Merlin arrives with Guinevere and Arthur realises his mistake. He was smitten with Morgause, fueled by firsts and by hormones but falls truly, and madly in love with Guinevere. Merlin steps in and Morgause is shipped off, possibly before she knew of her pregnancy and certainly before Arthur did. Their betrothal was hushed as the folly of children and pushed aside. Arthur and Guinevere marry, that plot line continues as per the myth.

What then of Morgause? Removed from her love and probably her home, she is lost and carrying a child. Talk about vulnerable and conflicted, whilst Arthur was only taken with Morgause, she was in love with him and thrilled at the thought of a life together. That life is stolen. Worse than that, she cannot start afresh as the product of that time grows in her womb.

She loves and hates Arthur, and loves and hates Mordred as well. She does not set out to raise him for vengeance, but is consumed with such notions and terribly bitter. It twists Mordred's raising until he becomes Arthur's bane.

Now I've not yet fitted Morgana in yet, and that's somewhat deliberate. She would not abandon her sister but she is another villain like Merlin, and uses her for her own ends. I can imagine that when Morgause cries with her loss, Morgana is there to lay blame at Arthur's feet. When she is low, Morgana is there 'helping' Morgause as she, uh, well, she guides her to the dark side >.>

That was the premise that got me writing. What do you guys think?

Merits: Well Traveled, Refined, Natural Leader, Occult Library, Manor, True Love
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Flaws: Vengeance, Driving Goal, Infamous Sire, Sire's Resentment, Vengeful Childe/Jilted Paramour
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Helena Serieux
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Methuselah
[]
Slight update to the end of the bit I posted. I got bored of writing "captive" and "prisoner" repeatedly, and had no great way to reveal her identity so I just had Peredur name Morgause at the end.
Merits: Well Traveled, Refined, Natural Leader, Occult Library, Manor, True Love
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Flaws: Vengeance, Driving Goal, Infamous Sire, Sire's Resentment, Vengeful Childe/Jilted Paramour
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Ramya Nagarathna
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Follower of Set
[]
Haven't read it yet, but I'll do it on Friday when I'm at work. My MA application will be gone by then so that's one thing off my plate. >.<
Merits: Fascinating Gaze, Blush of Health, Honeyed Tongue & Gossip
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Flaws: Deep Sleeper, Heartless, Surreal Quality & Ulterior Motive
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